Location of Banksy’s Barely Legal revealed

According to banksy.co.uk, his exhibition Barely Legal is taking place all this weekend at Hunter Street, which is off Santa Fe, two blocks from the freeway. He doesn’t give an exact address but according to this google map Hunter isn’t a very long street to begin with. So, maybe just drive around and listen for the elephant? A few photos of the exhibition can be found here, and more coming soon.

UPDATE: Yes, that is a live elephant. Dylan posts in the comments saying:

I was at the Banksy exhibition last night. When I entered I was given a flyer which read:

There’s an elephant in the room
There’s a problem we never talk about.

The fact is that life isn’t getting any fairer.

1.7 billion people have no access to clean drinking water.

20 billion people live below the poverty line (he must have meant 2 billion as we are a population of about 6 billion)

Every day hundreds of people are made physically sick by morons at art shows telling them how bad the world is but never actually doing something about it.

Anybody want a free glass of wine?

Great, right? Except he used a real elephant, painted pink and gold. I was shocked and lost respect for a really talented, smart artist. And it was totally hypocritical because animals count too.

Hello:
I was at the Banksy exhibition last night. When I entered I was given a flyer which read:

There’s an elephant in the room
There’s a problem we never talk about.

The fact is that life isn’t getting any fairer.

1.7 billion people have no access to clean drinking water.

20 billion people live below the poverty line (he must have meant 2 billion as we are a population of about 6 billion)

Every day hundreds of people are made physically sick by morons at art shows telling them how bad the world is but never actually doing something about it.

Anybody want a free glass of wine?

Great, right? Except he used a real elephant, painted pink and gold. I was shocked and lost respect for a really talented, smart artist. And it was totally hypocritical because animals count too. We would have been outraged if it was a person placed on exhibit (like they did to Pygmies and Bushmen from Africa 100 years ago and toured them to various World Fairs- people who are really San tribesman living in the Kalahari desert).

Since the elephant is unable to explain his feelings in language we understand we just all think this is ok but my hunch is she would much rather be with other elephants and walking in the Savannah. Elephants need to walk miles a day to really survive and are incredibly social. Elephants are also remarkably smart and feeling. The elephant was shuffling in a way that animals who are penned move. It was very sad to watch.

His political points are right on target but he blew it with an inappropriate, non-creative and cheap attempt at a one-liner. He humiliated a living creature. So I am taking the challenge in his flyer. I am seeing how bad the world is and doing something about it. For the world to be fairer, it needs to be fairer to all creatures that roam the earth.

Most humans have an instrumental view of animals, and thus believe animals are here for our purposes. This view goes back to Aristotle and is granted further justification in Judeo-Christian tradition in the Book of Genesis, which grants humans dominion over other animals.
However, some artists are able to visualize animals sympathetically, granting them lives independent of their usefulness to humans. Unfortunately, as creative and subversive as he is, Banksy was not able rise above an instrumental view. I was at his opening last night, and saw only sorrow in the eyes of the magnificent elephant made captive to a trendy event. Banksy attempted to critique art world trends, but undermined his own message by subjugating another creature.
On May 24, 2007 the great ethical philosopher and animal rights advocate Peter Singer will speak at the Getty Museum on the ethics of using animals in art!

I ran over at lunch and did some reconnoitering. Parking is scarce and it’s pretty busy. Make sure you’ve got a (fairly) legal spot and don’t block one of the businesses doors. It’s at the end of the street on the right. Some photos here: http://flickr.com/photos/ballookey/sets/72157594285715827/

When I went the elephant was well-looked after, his keeper right next to him, no one else allowed to approach or molest him, and food & water nearby. He seemed curious about the people milling about, but otherwise content & bored. He yawned once.

No David, I don’t think that the elephant particularly suffered from being painted. But I’m sure that the transportation to and from the downtown warehouse that the show is in wasn’t particularly enjoyable. And I’m sure that hanging around in that warehouse for several days isn’t great for him either.

But I do appreciate Michele’s report, for what it’s worth. At least people are kept a safe distance form him. I wonder what it will be like when the place gets packed with guests over the next several nights.

I’m hardly an art curator, sure I co-own a gallery but it’s 100% Caryn as to what happens on those walls.

Yes I am vegan, but I’m also not one to instantly assume the worst. This isn’t the first time he’s painted animals, so I’m not sure why everyone is so shocked to begin with. Secondly, there have been TONS of photos rolling in from people there all day today and none of them include the elephant. I haven’t been myself yet, so I can’t say for sure, but at this point I’m guessing the elephant was a opening night thing only. Additionally you can’t just get an elephant anywhere, my guess is that in order to “rent” one for the evening, which is probably what happened, they had to jump through all kinds of hoops documenting how it would be cared for and everything else. I don’t like zoos, and I don’t like the circus so I’m not a fan of people oggoling confined animals to begin with but I don’t see why this is any worse than those. Additionally, I’m pretty sure the whole point of having a LIVE ELEPHANT at an art opening is to get people to talk about just that, so the more up in arms people get the more it’s justifying it being there in the first place.

Sean’s and FP’s comments are accurate, but there is a larger ethical issue at stake. I spoke with the Animal Services representative present, and he informed me that the animal handlers were following all of the proper procedures. (Brad Pitt also mentioned that he was told that the organizers were following the regulations required for having animals on a film set, and I appreciate his concern.)

Nonetheless, why is it appropriate to remove an intelligent creature from its habitat, transport it, confine it, paint it, and have a party around it? Humans should treat their planetary cohabitants with respect, just as members of one race of humans should treat individuals from another race with respect. As Dylan suggests, Banksy’s message is undermined by his treatment of the elephant. Is Banksy ultimately any different than Lindsay Englund?

I see that he has painted animals before. But I’m relatively new to the Banksy phenomenon and therefore he’s never done it at a show I have been eagerly anticipating. I guess the difference is that this animal is at a show right now and not in a photograph dated a year or two ago. Neither action is right in my eyes, but I think you know what I’m saying.

I’m not a fan of zoos either and I wonder where this elephant came from. It just sucks that this was used as a way to gather publicity.

Get yourselves all tied up in knots about an elephant so terribly subjected to makeup and a couple hours of boredom. Feel good for saving that poor elephant today. Then go back to drinking your free wine and telling yourself you are a good person for the couple bucks you give to saving puppies.

Bravo Banksy. How right you are. If you aren’t a part of the solution. You are part of the problem.

Does anyone here really think Bansky gave a damn about that elephant? You really think all proper procedures were followed? Do you think elephants enjoy standing in one place for long periods of time when they roam 30+ miles in their natural habitat to keep from getting crippling arthritis??? How do you think trainers get wild elephants to do what they are told? One word: bullhooks. They are fearful of being hurt by them so they obey. Bansky is either very cruel or very clueless.

By the way, the elephant’s name is Tai, she is 38 and was obtained from a company named “Have Trunk Will Travel”. They exploit elephants for $$$$.

This was just posted on my animal rights list:
The red paint they were using on the elephant at the Banksy art exhibit in Los Angeles was not meant for skin. It was for use on wood, paper or cardboard. You can only use paint made for skin which is an FDA “cosmetic” approved for use on skin. Some paint can make you very sick if it’s not made for skin. The gold makeup paint they used was not for use near eyes, nose or mouth and may have needed a barrier cream in sensitive areas. The paint was all over her body. The gold makeup or any skin paint has to be removed every night because it could have smeared into the animals eyes, nose or mouth while it slept. The paint was on her since Thursday morning.

Previously the owner had told the Department and media that it was totally safe non-toxic makeup paint as per the media and others. LA Animal Services researched the paint and found out that it was not legal for skin application last night. The Departent made the elephant’s owner wash the paint off this morning. The owner still took her elephant back to the art exhibit. They decided to put the elephant back on display without the paint. Everything else the elephant’s owner did was legal as per current laws. It should be in the papers later.

bloody amazing show, ok we know he is a bugger but at least he is on the right side…”the death of western civilization as we know it?” banksy paints while Rome burns…disturbing and beautiful…
The elephant was either a republican or a sign of the return of
the barbarians marching over the alps to lay wast to all that they touch…